Arrancar Princesa
by Soranryu
Summary: Alternate universe, Arrancars as gangsters. Hope you guys enjoy and like the concept! Don't flame me if you guys don't like it. GrimmXFlame(OC) Disclaimer: Bleach do not belong to me, only my OCs do.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello my dear readers! A fic of Arrancars and gangsterism combined. Bleach belong to Kubo-sensei, not me. Enjoy! -Soranryu_

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 _I won't be back for dinner, sorry. –Ggio,_ the text read, and he hit the "send" button before locking his phone. He slipped the phone into his bag and closed his locker before adjusting his sabretooth mask fragment on his head. After ensuring that the mask won't fall off, he strode back to the center of the room where everyone was gathered.

"Listen up, guys. Tonight's fight is an important one. If we lose this one, we lose everything. So go out there and make sure you kick ass!" their king, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, spoke. Nobody said anything, but their determination spoke for them: There is no way they would lose!

Their gang, the Arrancars, is the top notorious gang in town. Occupying the leader's position is Grimmjow, the strongest among them. Under his direct orders are the rest of the 6 Espada. Under the Espada are Fraccions, the Espada's personal fighters. That was in the past, though. Now, the Fraccions are just fighters with lower fighting power than the Espada, but strong nonetheless.

He, Ggio Vega, is a Fraccion. He and five others used to be personal servants for an ex-Espada, but no longer. His ex-master was dead, along with three of the others. Charlotte and Findorr, along with him, were then granted freedom within the gang, no longer belonging to any Espada. The other Fraccions were granted the same freedom when Grimmjow became the Arrancars' king.

More importantly, the Arrancars cannot lose this neighborhood, their main territory. Well, of course their prides are at stake, but for Ggio, there is an entire different reason for wanting to keep this neighborhood under the Arrancars' rule.

His adopted family has been staying here and under the Arrancars' protection for five years. The thought of them under the rule of other gangs made him shudder, especially when he thought of his beloved sister, Flame, catching the attention of the other gang leaders. Even though Flame is his adopted sister, he loves and protects her like she was his own.

He could still remember a few years ago, when Flame's family found him lying in an alley, bleeding his life out. He was beaten up by some drug addicts for stealing their money and one of them stabbed him in the gut. It was Flame who found him, and she had quickly covered his wounds with her small hands, trying to stop the bleeding.

It was futile though, his blood refusing to stop flowing. Her parents soon followed her into the alley, and when they spotted him, they quickly called the ambulance. They stayed with him all the way to the hospital, talking to him so that he'd stayed awake. Flame held onto his hand, never letting go until he went into the operation room.

He also remembered that when he woke up after his operation, Flame greeted him by calling him "brother". He was shocked, of course. Her parents then explained that they decided to adopt him into their family. They didn't mind that he kept his original name and treated him really well. They gave him freedom, provided him new clothes, food, and most importantly, a home.

Their only one condition was to protect Flame. She wasn't stunningly beautiful, but she has this air of innocence that draws people to her. And sometimes, not all were friendly. Ggio actually had to fend off some that were trying to take advantage of her. He was glad he was strong enough.

"Oi, Ggio!" fingers snapped him out of his daze. He looked up to see Findorr. The blonde eyed him curiously before saying, "King paired us up. Let's go." Ggio nodded and cleared his mind, following his friend to their designated area.

For his beloved sister, he would protect this area.

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 _How was it? This idea stemmed from a curious thought of mine about how Arrancars would be if they were gangsters. Hope you guys like the concept! -Soranryu_


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry for the short chapter, in Flame's POV. Read on! -Soranryu_

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I stared at the clock, worry gnawing at my heart. "Flame, Ggio did say he won't be back for dinner," my mother reassured. I sighed, "I know, but I can't help but worry. Ggio-nii never comes home so late before…"

There was a moment of silence before she passed me a slip of paper. It was a hand-drawn map. "Follow this map and you'll probably find your dear brother. Now go, and bring the food to him," Mum smiled and pointed a whole bag. It was supposed to be dinner, but…"Why are there so much?!"

She just grinned, "I had a feeling there would be more people other than Ggio eating." I nodded and took the bag. Mum has very accurate sixth sense, so better don't doubt her. "Be careful!" Mum called after me.

Following the map, I soon came to a dark alley. I just need to walk straight and I would be able to find a door that will lead to Ggio. As I was about to step forward, I heard a grunt. I turned behind to see no one behind me, but a painful moan sounded the next second.

Retracing my steps, I followed the moan, hoping to find the person. Whoever that was, he needed help. I turned into another alley, a broken streetlamp buzzing above me. Just then I spotted movements in front of me and I walked faster.

To my surprise, it was Ggio and another guy with blond hair that falls to his waist. I was about to call out to them when I saw a man behind them, holding a brick up high. "Ggio-nii, behind you!" I shouted, watching in horror as the man brought the brick down.

I gave a sigh of relief when Ggio and his friend dodged the attack and took down the assaulter. As I was about to run to them, a hand clamped over my mouth and pulled me backwards. I lost my balance and let go of the bag of food. Trying to get the hand away, I scratched at it with my nails, before I elbowed him in the ribs.

My assaulter doubled over in pain, releasing me at the same time. Seizing my chance, I grabbed the bag of food and ran away from him. When I was a safe distance away, Ggio rushed forward and kicked him into a wall. Both assaulters were out like the light.

"Flame, why the hell are you here?" Ggio questioned, trying to keep his voice calm. I looked at him and gave a smile, "I'm sorry, Ggio-nii. I came to bring you your dinner…wait, no, it's supper." He ran his hand across his face, "Let's just head back to Las Noches."

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 _Flame's not to be bullied, ok?! You guys will see Flame's strong sides sometimes throughout the story because I don't want to make Flame a useless weakling, so yeah :P -Soranryu_


	3. Chapter 3

_Yosh, a long chapter! This is in 3rd person POV, where Flame officially meet the top gang in town! -Soranryu_

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Along the way back, Ggio introduced Findorr and Flame to each other and they hit off well. His heart was still beating wildly, his mind replaying the scene where Flame was attacked from behind again and again. If he had been a minute slower, Flame would have been hurt.

"Ggio-nii?" a touch to his arm caused him to jump and look around for danger. When he realized it was Flame, he relaxed and looked down, ignoring the smirk on Findorr's face. Soon, they reached the door to their base. "Flame, this is Las Noches, our base," he introduced, opening the door and leading her in.

"You guys are still alive, huh? Wouldn't hurt to call back and tell us," Grimmjow's voice sounded. The two Fraccions mumbled an apology before going to their lockers to get their stuff. "Oh, who's this?" Charlotte skipped forward and gently guided Flame to the center of the room.

The girl looked down at the ground, uncomfortable at the attention she was getting. Ggio went beside her and placed an arm on her shoulder, "Guys, meet my sister, Flame." Surprised gasps were heard and Flame blushed. Seeing the red tinge on her face, Nel, the previous Tres Espada, crushed the girl into a hug, "She's so cute!"

"Nel, please, let the girl go. You're suffocating her," Nnoitra Gilga, the Quinto Espada and also Nel's boyfriend, stepped up to free Flame from Nel's death hug. Ggio quickly brought Flame close to him, the earlier attack still haunting him. He then realized the bag in her hands.

He proceeded to take it from her, and that seemed to remind her of it. "Oh, that's right! Mum made this for you guys!" she exclaimed, putting the bag on the large table in the middle and taking its contents out. Soon, several dishes were set up and utensils were neatly stacked up at the side. "Eat up!" she gestured widely to the food.

Without hesitation, the Arrancars dug in. they can't be blamed, really. The battle was a tough one, leaving them tired and hungry. Ggio quickly finished up his share and went to shower. He wanted to get rid of the sweat and grime from his body as soon as possible.

"So….does Ggio talks about us?" Grimmjow asked, his cyan eyes looking at Flame. "Yep! From the way he talks about you guys, I think Ggio-nii sees you guys as the best friends he could ever have. He explained to me the different levels within the Arrancars, and I'm guessing you're Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the King."

"Okay…so how much do you know?" Grimmjow was curious. Sure, the residents of this section, Hueco Mundo, do know about them, but they don't really know much about the members, much less recognize them. "Well…Ggio-nii did a full description on most of you, the Espada and Fraccions.

"The King, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, which is also you, has electric blue hair and cyan eyes. You also have green eyeshadow and are the sixth Espada, aka Sexta Espada. Muscular, strong, and exuding leadership. Your mask is a piece of jaw bone which you wear it at the right of your jaw. Ggio-nii also mentioned that many girls would kill to have you as their bad-ass boyfriend.

"Coyote Staark, the first Espada, aka Primera Espada. Blue-grey eyes, unkempt brown, wavy hair down to your neck and a faded goatee. Your mask is a fang bottom jaw that you wear at the base of your neck. Strong, but lazy, and you always carry a gun which you name Lilynette. Oh, and your birthday is ten days after mine too!

"Tier Harribel, the third Espada, aka Tres Espada. Aqua eyes, blond hair and olive skin. Your mask is always hidden in your jacket, but the most noticeable thing is your sword, which looks like a shark's tooth. Cool, calm, beautiful, and the strongest female in the Arrancars. You're my role model, you know?

"Ulquiorra Cifer, the fourth Espada, aka Cuatro Espada. Emerald catlike eyes, jet black hair and pale skin. Your mask is a broken horned helmet that you wear on your left. One of the smallest males in the Arrancars, fast and the most 'emo' among all. Ggio-nii told me your swordsmanship is off the charts!

"Nnoitra Gilga, the fifth Espada, aka Quinto Espada. One grey eye with the other one under an eye patch, jet black hair but longer than Ulquiorra-san's. Your mask is a small set of jawbones and teeth that you wear over your eyepatch. Tall, lanky and loves to fight. Your weapon is something I admire a lot: a giant axe-like weapon bearing two crescent moon-shaped blades fused together at the backs, with a large looped chain connected to the shaft at the end of the handle. How cool is that?

"Szayelapporo Granz, the eight Espada, aka Octavo Espada. You preferred to be called Szayel, though. Amber eyes and pink hair, a slender guy too. Your mask is the rectangular-formed spectacles you're wearing. Smart, a bit narcissistic, and preferred to watch rather to fight. You think you can help me with my math and science?

"Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, the previous third Espada, preferred to be called Nel. Hazel eyes and long green hair, and a distinct pink stripe across your nose. Your mask is a skull with a pair of curved horns, and some of the teeth are missing due to a fight. Beautiful, kind and friendly. You are more on the cute side, and girlfriend of Nnoitra," Flame introduced, her descriptions earning approval and chuckles.

She continued, "Of course, there are the Fraccions. We have the Three Beasts, aka Tres Bestias, consisting of Apacci, Milarose and Sun-sun. They are the last of the females of the Arrancars and loyal to Harribel-san. We also have Tesla Lindocruz, who is also wearing an eyepatch, and loyal to Nnoitra. And lastly, we have Charlotte, Findorr and Ggio-nii, who do not serve any Espada, as well as Yylfordt, Szayel's brother."

Just as she finished, Ggio came out of the bathroom with his hair untied, reaching past his shoulder blades. Grimmjow turned and teased, "You sure told your sis a lot about us, eh?" Ggio blushed faintly at that, before walking off to his locker. He then sat down in one of the sofa and stuffed his dirty clothes into his bag, keeping quiet.

"Ggio-nii? What's wrong?" Flame sat down beside him and asked. He shook his head, not wanting her to know how shaken up he was. It was useless; Flame could see right through him. Snatching the comb from his hand, she turned him around and propped herself on her knees, running the comb through his hair.

"It's okay, Ggio-nii; I'm not hurt. I was careless, so don't blame yourself," she whispered, easing the guilt in Ggio's heart. After getting rid of the knots from his hair, she returned the comb to him. At that moment, Ggio turned and crushed Flame into his embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

Flame said nothing, only wrapping her arms around him as she whispered reassurance to his ear. She can understand his fear; because she would feel the same if something happened to him as well. "Ggio, you okay?" Charlotte asked, concerned about his friend.

"He's fine, Charlotte-san. He just needs a moment," Flame smiled at them, before going back to reassuring her brother. True enough, Ggio sat up straight a few minutes later, looking better than earlier. "Listen, Flame, do not come here alone. Understand?" he spoke sternly.

The girl chuckled before smiling brightly, "Hai!" At that moment, everyone can't help but think how innocent Flame really is. Even after being assaulted by enemies, she still has no idea how dangerous things could get around here. That smile just proved that, and that Flame has no intention of heeding Ggio's warning.

Just then, Ggio's phone rang. He picked it up and he's eyes widened. When questioned what's wrong, he turned to Flame, "The opposing gang's at our house, holding April hostage." Flame was up on her feet in no time and rushing back home, Ggio hot on her heels.

The Arrancars stared at each other before Grimmjow instructed, "Ulquiorra, Staark, Yylfordt and Szayel, come with me." With that, the five of them rushed out of Las Noches and quickly caught up with the siblings. Along the way, Grimmjow started giving further instructions, "Ulquiorra and Staark, we're going up with Ggio. Yylfordt and Szayel, scout around the void deck and take care of the rest."

 _Damn, I thought we had them all,_ the King thought, angry at his miscalculation.

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 _So...how are you guys finding the concept? I personally quite like it XD -Soranryu_


	4. Chapter 4

_A moderate-long chapter in Flame's POV. Things get messy... -Soranryu_

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I didn't think twice and threw the door open. Mum being gagged and tied to a chair, unconscious, was the sight that met my eyes. "Mum, no!" I screamed, feeling tears welling up in my eyes. I was about to run forward and untie her when Ggio pulled me back, putting an arm around my waist to prevent me from running forward.

"Ggio-nii, let me go! I have to save her!" I cried, struggling against my brother's hold. "Flame, calm down! If you go, you'll become their hostage as well!" he whispered frantically in my ear. His words successfully stopped my struggling. As desperate as I was to save my mother, I knew ended up being a hostage only makes things worse.

I took deep breaths to try to remain calm. This is not a fight I could win, so I should stay low and let the Arrancars settle this. "Let the woman go. You guys have lost this battle, so just play nice and retreat," Grimmjow stated, walking to the front.

"You think we're gonna just do that? Hahaha, such a fool! We want the girl, so hand over her and we'll return this woman," the captor sneered. Ggio let out a growl and tightened his hold around me. Grimmjow shot him a look before looking coolly back at the captor, "Why should we? What do you trash want to do with her?"

Anger flashed across the opposing gang's faces as they were called trash, before Mum's captor smirked, "Well…our boss has taken a liking to that innocent little thing over there…" This time, it was Grimmjow who let out a growl as he rushed forward and grabbed the captor's collar and held him up.

Grimmjow then jerked his head, and the two others beside Mum were knocked out by Ulquiorra and Staark. The guy held by Grimmjow then let out a terrified squeak, "O-ok, ok! You can take the woman! Please let me go!" At his words, I broke out of Ggio's hold and ran to untie my mother. I removed her gag and started to work on her knots when a shadow was upon me.

I turned to see a knife slashing down and I froze on the spot, fear overtaking me. I braced myself for the pain, but before the knife could reach me, there was flash of blue and blood splattered. My eyes widened, "G-Grimmjow-san…"

"You okay?" he grinned down at me, his voice laced with pain. I nodded, staring guiltily at the wound on his back. "Flame, be good and get your mother to where Ggio is," he whispered. I nodded and quickly untied Mum, Ulquiorra quickly coming over to guide us to the door, where Ggio was.

By now, Szayel and Yylfordt had already done their job and joined us. Szayel checked Mum over and reassured us that she's alright. I turned back in time to see Grimmjow knocked out the captor and the one with the knife. Ulquiorra and Staark quickly tie them up and pulled them out of the apartment and down to where the opposing gang was tied up.

Grimmjow walked out as well, looking apologetic, "Sorry 'bout your house; it's kinda ruined now." I shook my head, tears making their way down my cheeks, "I should be the one sorry! If only I had listened to Ggio-nii and leave things to you guys, you wouldn't be hurt!"

The King of the Arrancars looked surprised before he grinned, "If you're sorry…then how about taking care of my injury as an apology?" I nodded without hesitation, but Ggio pulled me behind him, "What are you thinking about, King?"

Grimmjow just laughed, "Don't be so protective now, Ggio. She's your sister, so she's one of us; we won't hurt her. What I'm suggesting is that you and your family come live in Las Noches. With your apartment like this, and the opposing gang after little Flame here, you guys would be safer with us at Las Noches."

After considering his words, Ggio then agreed, relaxing his stance. However, Ggio still turned back to me and said, "Be careful of him, ok, Flame? He's actually a very dangerous guy." This earned him laughter from everyone present while Grimmjow protested. He then winced in pain.

Reminded of his wound, I dragged him into the kitchen, mindful of his back. Finding some clean cloths, I rinsed them under the tap and started to clean his wound, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. When the bleeding stopped, Grimmjow stood, "That's good enough for now. Szayel will patch me up when we head back."

I nodded, putting away the bloody cloths. "Well, we should start packing, shouldn't we?" Mum's voice sounded. _She's alright!_ I thought as I ran to her and hugged her tightly. She patted my head comfortingly before gesturing to my room. Using the rest of the night, we managed to move everything to Las Noches.

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 _Oh man, sorry Grimmjow! I didn't wanna hurt you, but it's for the sake of the fic. Besides, Grimm's strong enough to take that hit XD -Soranryu_


	5. Chapter 5

_3rd person POV, a not-so-long chapter. Continue on... -Soranryu_

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"Here's your room, April's and your dad's one is opposite and Ggio's room is beside yours. Ggio, we made the door you requested, connecting both your rooms together," Grimmjow pointed out to Flame. She nodded, opening the door to her new room. She looked around in astonishment at the spacious bedroom, "Woah…"

Dragging her luggage in, she walked around and fingered the desk, the bed, the balcony….everything she could touch. "This is awesome! It's as if Las Noches is a mansion!" she exclaimed, sitting down on one of the velvet chair near the balcony. Ggio laughed, "It _is_ a mansion! You just can't see it because it's night. The Espada are actually rich jerks!"

"Really?! Then why did we enter such a small door?" Flame perked up, looking towards Grimmjow and Ulquiorra, the two Espada present. "It's for convenience's sake. Las Noches has many entrances like that, so we can come back in from no matter which district we are in. the main entrance is at the front; we'll show you later!"

Flame hummed in understanding, "I can't believe you guys have that much money…" "We have the Government's sponsorship," Ulquiorra spoke, shocking everyone. The Cuatro Espada hardly speaks unless necessary, but Flame actually managed to get him to speak! So Ulquiorra was charmed, eh?

But, to be honest, the slender male isn't the only one. He doesn't know about the others, but Grimmjow knows he himself is affected. Her innocence is refreshing for a gangster like him, and he wants to protect this innocence, protect her smile. Right now, he can't help but think she's cute as she hugged her precious dolphin plushy while exploring her room.

"Damn, not you guys too," Ggio grumbled, snapping him out of his daze. He looked towards the Fraccion and raised an eyebrow, gesturing Ggio to explain. "Whenever guys have that look on that face, it means they're attracted to Flame. And so far, those who dares to approach her do not have good intentions. I hope that's not what you guys are thinking, King," the Fraccion answered.

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed in anger after hearing that, before he growled lowly, "You have my word, Ggio. I swear on my position as King that I would never hurt her." "Neither will I," Ulquiorra whispered. Just then, Flame walked up and smiled at them, "Thank you so much, Grimmjow-san, Ulqui-san!"

She then realized what she had called the Cuatro Espada, "You don't mind, do you?" Ulquiorra shook his head. Her smile truly is powerful, melting all their hearts. "Well, it's been a long night. Everyone go back and catch some sleep; we still have to patrol," Grimmjow stated, relieved that his voice was steady.

With that, they quickly dispersed and went back to their own rooms to wash up and grab however much sleep they could. Ggio took a quick shower again before returning to Flame's room, the girl was still in the shower.

As he waited for her, he thought back to Grimmjow and the rest. His sister was really a charmer, able to charm the members of the Arrancars that she had met so far. Ggio groaned in frustration; there was no way he could keep them all away! He guessed he should be thankful, the Espada and Fraccions would not hurt her, and that he was certain.

"You're here already, Ggio-nii?" Flame's voice brought him back to the present. He nodded, patting the space beside him on the bed. Ever since he was adopted, they had a habit of sleeping together in the same bed. It was at first a mere impulse on Ggio's part, because he feared that she would disappear if he wakes up the next day

Her parents were not happy at first, but after they were sure that he would not do anything to their precious daughter, they allowed him, albeit grudgingly. It was thanks to Flame actually. And so, it became a habit over the years. He tried not to, but either he would go to her, or she would come to him.

Flame climbed into the bed, but did not lie down. She then found a hair dryer in the drawer of the dressing table beside the bed and connected it to a power plug before starting to dry her hair. The room was pretty much a guest room, as the Arrancars did not have time to decorate it. But…the King did say they will decorate their three rooms when everyone slept enough.

Soon, Flame was done with her hair and she snuggled into Ggio's side. As her eyes fluttered close from exhaustion, she murmured, "The Arrancars are so kind to us…" With that, she was asleep. The Fraccion looked at her with soft eyes, whispering, "Yes, yes they are…" He soon fell asleep himself.

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 _Don't misunderstand, ok? Ggio truly views Flame as his sister, that's all. Their habit of sleeping together is just to soothe his insecurities. -Soranryu_


	6. Chapter 6

_Yosh, finally another long chapter! In Flame's POV! This is somewhat a filler, so enjoy with a light heart! -Soranryu_

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I blinked my eyes open and slowly freed myself from Ggio's arms, careful not to wake him. Looking over to the clock, it's about 1pm. As quietly as possible, I washed up quickly and returned to the bedside. Moving some of Ggio's hair away from his face, I replaced the blanket over him before quietly leaving the room, closing the door gently beside me.

Hearing the sound of cooking, I followed the sound to the kitchen, where Mum was whipping up lunch. "Don't you have work today?" I asked, plopping down onto a nearby chair and watched her. "I took the day off, so did your father," she replied, adding some final touches to the current dish before starting on the other one.

She did not need to mention where my father is, because it's quite known in our family that if Dad isn't working, he probably would be sleeping. "Flame, would you mind waking them up? It's not good to sleep too long," Mum then requested. I nodded and stood, leaving the kitchen. I went back to my room first to wake Ggio up, only to find him already up and combing his hair.

"Ggio-nii, let's go. Mum wants us to wake everyone up for lunch," I smiled, grabbing his hand and led him out, "you have to tell me which room is whose." He said nothing as he put down the comb and allowed me to drag him. Before we start waking up the Arrancars, we went to wake Dad up first.

After Dad was successfully awakened, Ggio led me down the hallway. As we walked towards the end, he explained, "This floor is for Fraccions. The rooms we're using are extras, which will be ours. The Espada lives in the floor above, which is also the top floor of Las Noches. The floor we were at yesterday is below this one, the basement and meeting room. As you can see, this floor is consists of the living room, a lounge and the kitchen."

When we reached the very end, there was a door. Ggio knocked, "Apacci, Milarose, Sun-sun, wake up. There's lunch." So, this room belongs to the Three Beasts. Ggio then told me that this room was given to the three of them because it was the biggest on this floor. When we heard them respond, we continued on to the next door.

"This is Tesla's room. Why don't you wake him up? He's nicer than the three women before," Ggio said, stepping aside. Raising my fist to the door, I tentatively knocked the door, "Tesla-san, my mum made lunch." A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal the blond. He smiled gently and said that he would be in the kitchen soon.

We came across a pink door with a giant white rose in the middle. I cringed a little at the colour, for pink happens to be least favorite colour, as Ggio chuckled, "Whose room do you think this is?" I thought for a few seconds, because the answer was quite obvious, before knocking, "Charlotte-san, my mum made lunch." "Okay ̴" the occupant in the room sang out. Ggio and I shared a look before we burst out laughing quietly.

The last room before ours is Findorr's, but before we reached, Findorr himself came out of his room. We then told him about lunch and he headed towards the kitchen to help out. After waking up all the Fraccions, except for Yylfordt, Ggio led me up two flights of stairs to the Espada's floor.

"The Espada's rooms are actually a little bigger than ours, and they have more stuff up here. They have a huge lounge, a bar, a medical area and a gym corner. The Espada are nice though, they allow us to come up use these. Now let's start with Szayel and Yylfordt's room," Ggio did a brief tour before heading to one of the rooms, with an "8" printed on the top of the door.

"Szayel-san, Yylfordt-san, my mum made lunch. Do come down and join us," I knocked. The door opened and Szayel was there. He then gave a smile, "Good afternoon, Flame, Ggio. Alright, we'll be down soon. I just need to wake Yylfordt up." He then closed the door as we head towards another room.

One by one, we woke up the rest of the Espada. Nnoitra and Nel shared a room, and Nel greeted me enthusiastically with a bone-crushing hug. Ulquiorra was already up and preparing to head down, Harribel as well. Staark was a bit hard to wake up, but he did, though still half-awake. The last one was Grimmjow. "King may be hard to wake up. He's been up late at nights recently to plan for yesterday's battle, and he does not like being forced awake…" Ggio mumbled.

He was right. We have knocked for a few times, but there was no response. Just as we were about to give up, I noticed that his door was opened. I gestured the open door to Ggio and opened it, making my way silently into the room. Ggio tried to stop me, but I ignored him, continuing towards the King's bed.

There he was, sprawled on the king-sized bed on his stomach with his hands underneath his pillow, deep asleep. Apparently, the King of the Arrancars does not like to wear shirts to sleep. I mentally laughed at that, admired his back muscles a little and winced at the healing cut, before shaking him gently, "Grimmjow-san, wake up! There's lunch waiting!"

After a few more shaking, Grimmjow grumbled incoherently. After that, he growled out, "Get lost!" and shifted such that he was lying on his side, back facing me. I laughed softly, before slapping his arm, "Grimmjow-san, it's me, Flame! Wake up!" With another growl, he finally sat up and ran a hand through his hair, "What is it?"

I flashed him a smile, "My mum made lunch, come down and join us! Don't go back to sleep, okay? If you do, we won't leave anything for you!" Grimmjow gave me a half-hearted glare and quickly washed up, before throwing on a tank top and followed us out, yawning. When we reached the kitchen, everyone has already taken a seat and some were already eating.

Having skipped breakfast, everyone was hungry and soon the food was all finished. Just then, Grimmjow spoke up, "Well, before we start anything, let's welcome Ggio's family into Las Noches." Everyone cheered as they urged us to stand.

"Okay, calm down kids. I'm Flame's mother, and since my family's gonna start living here, I'll be in charge of your meals, if you guys don't mind. You guys may call me April," Mum introduced herself, and at the mention of her cooking, everyone cheered again. Well, my mother's cooking is one of the best, after all.

Next, it was Dad, "Hey kids. I'm Flame's dad, but call me Uncle Ten. You guys better be nice to my little girl, okay?" I facepalmed myself; I don't need people babying me. Lastly, it was my turn. I took a deep breath and grin, "I'm Flame, though I'm sure you guys all know. I'm 16 this year and graduating soon. I hope to get to know all of you guys better, and thank you for letting my family stay in such a wonderful mansion!"

We then received a round of applause. "Flame-chan, you want to start decorating your room?" Nel asked excitedly, her hazel eyes shining. "Can I?" I, too, became excited at the thought of it. "Well…how do you want your room to look like?" Mum asked, looking at me. "I can decorate my own room?" I asked.

She nodded. Finally! I've been wanting to decorate my own room, but Mum always refuses, saying my designs are inappropriate. I thought for a while, wanting to make full use of this rare opportunity. An idea clicked and I looked up, smiling, "I think I'll keep the walls' original colour. Instead, I want a dragon, a phoenix, a tiger and a wolf."

Looking around, I see surprised stares directed at me. "What?" I asked, meeting their stares with my own curious one. "Your taste is surprising! I thought you would a room like mine!" Charlotte answered, blinking at me. I stuck out my tongue at that thought, "No thanks, Charlotte-san. I don't want to gag, no offense."

He then pouted at my words. I stood at walked towards my room, taking out my phone and searching pictures up on Google. The rest followed me. When I entered my room, I pointed to the wall at the left of the balcony door, "I want a dragon up there, and a phoenix on the right wall."

Turning to the wall beside my bed, I pondered a while, "I want a tiger here." Then to the wall above the writing desk in front of the bed, I stared it before stating, "And a wolf here." Looking around my room again, I smiled, "That's pretty much all I want, the rest are more than enough."

"Okay, we can handle that," Grimmjow went through the list and nodded. "I'll bring some flowers or your balcony," the cool voice of Harribel's sounded, causing me to turn to her. "Really? That'll be great, Harribel-neesan!" She was stunned by how I addressed her, before giving me a small smile and went out to get the plants.

After she left, Ulquiorra and Tesla stepped up. Tesla asked softly, "What style of the creatures do you want?" I showed them my phone, "I want a Chinese dragon like this, just the shadow. Same for the phoenix. As for the colour…the dragon shall be blue and the phoenix orange. Then, I want the tiger to be a white tiger, standing on a rock and tracking a faraway prey. The wolf shall be midnight-blue, with silver eyes. But…I think it's quite difficult…"

Ulquiorra and Tesla made eye contact for a while, before Ulquiorra said, "It shall be done." My face must be full of shock, because Tesla placed a hand on my shoulder, "Don't worry; we can handle it. The both of us have a Master's Degree for Art, after all." Then, he turned to Ggio and my parents, "Do you guys have any requests?" They shook their heads, Ggio wanting them to finish up on my room and my parents just need to repaint the walls.

"Okay then. Just give us an hour or so to do a rough sketch before we start ordering the paint and everything," Tesla concluded, walking out after Ulquiorra. "Thank you!" I called after them. _Will it be too much trouble for them?_ I thought worriedly. "Hey, don't worry, they can handle it, and they won't disappoint you," Ggio sensed my concern and patted my shoulder. I nodded, excited to see what they would come up with after one hour.

* * *

 _I'll be honest, I designed Flame's room based on my own dream room. I really wanted a room like that, but I can't, so I can only use it in my fic... -Soranryu_


	7. Chapter 7

_A shorter chapter than the previous in 3rd person POV, but...oh well. -Soranryu_

* * *

True to their words, Ulquiorra ad Tesla was done in the next hour. They showed it to Flame, which caused her to gasp and clapped her hands in awe. "This is…better than I expected!" she exclaimed, looking at their rough sketch. The two artists could only smile. This is, after all, a rough sketch. The actual one would be so majestic that it would blow her mind.

"Alright, since it's settled, we can start buying the stuff you guys need," their King said, grinning, "Ulqui, Tesla, you guys would be bringing them shopping. Anyone else going?" When nobody volunteered, Grimmjow decided that he would tag along as well. Uncle Ten decided to stay behind since he won't be of much help.

So, the six of them made their way down to the basement, where one part of it is converted into a garage. There were several motorcycles parked there, each a different colour. Most of the Arrancars have their own bikes. "I don't have one. Nel as well," Ggio said, yearning evident in his voice.

He then led his sister to Grimmjow, "You'll be riding with King and April with Ulquiorra-san. I'll ride with Tesla." Grimmjow then led the girl to his bike, a striking blue vehicle like his hair, with a slanted "6" on one side and whitish-blue claw marks on the other. He then passed a black helmet to Flame, helping her wear it before wearing his own black one, which has a streak of blue.

Ulquiorra started his own motorcycle, emerald green in colour with a slanted "4" on one side and a pair of bat wings on the other, and passed April a white helmet. As the woman put on the helmet, Ulquiorra wore his own black one, with a streak of green.

Tesla, too, started his own bike. His was black, with yellow lightning streaking across the vehicle's body. His helmet has the same pattern as his bike, and he passed a helmet with tiger prints to Ggio. As soon as they were ready, they left the garage and were out onto the main road as they headed off.

Soon, they stopped at a huge department store. After parking their motorcycles, Ulquiorra and Tesla led the rest into the store. As they walked to their destination, they did some window shopping, with Flame admiring the different items on display.

"See anything you like?" Grimmjow asked Flame, grinning as she looked around in awe. That's because this department store sells high-value items, its patrons usually the rich. It's not a place someone like Flame would go, so she's easily amazed.

"We're here," Tesla stated, waiting for us to enter the shop before entering himself. Shelves of art materials were lined up orderly, with tags on them to state what kind of materials they're holding. In one corner of the shop, there was a space for people to do their artwork so that if they happened to run out of anything, they can just buy on the spot and continue.

Without stopping, Ulquiorra led them to a room at the very back. He knocked twice before entering, and he was greeted by a middle-aged man. "Ulquiorra, Tesla, how are you?" he asked with a big smile. He then noticed the rest of them and invited them in, "Do come in and have a sit!"

April walked in and sat down, having used to this kind of pleasantries. Flame, on the other hand, hesitated at the door. Seeing this, Ggio took her by the hand and gently pushed her down to sit. "Yo, Sensei! How's life?" Grimmjow greeted casually, taking a sit as well. "I'm good, thank you very much. What brings all of you here today?" the man replied heartily, sitting behind a desk.

"We need to order some paint, Sensei. Can you help us with that?" Tesla replied, already starting to flip through a catalogue. The man agreed happily. Flame pulled on Ggio's sleeve and asked, "Who is that, Ggio-nii?" "That's our homeroom and art teacher, Kay-sensei, or used to be. But we still call him Sensei, though," Ggio explained.

Kay then turned his attention to the two females present, "I forgot to introduce myself. As Ggio said, I'm Kay, their teacher when they were still in school. Pleased to meet you." April took his outstretched hand, and shook it, "Pleased to meet you too, Kay. I'm April, and this is my daughter, Flame," April introduced as well.

"Nice to meet you too," Flame shook his hand as well, greeting softly. "Flame," Ulquiorra called out. When the girl turned to him, he said nothing, but she knew he wanted her to go over. And so, she did and walked towards the computer Ulquiorra was using. Tesla, seeing that, walked over to them as well.

Ulquiorra was clicking away, before pausing for a short while. Flame and Tesla both stared at the screen for a while, before Flame said excitedly, "That's the colour! You're awesome, Ulqui-san!" Kay then walked over to them, and after looking through the colors Ulquiorra had on screen, he took over the computer, "I presume those are what you want?"

Ulquiorra nodded, and Kay clicked on the mouse a few times, "Alright then, let me just save this…and then…sent! Give it a few days and your paint would be sent to you!" Tesla and Flame both thanked him, which he brushed it off with a laugh, "It's my pleasure! These two are my best pupils, after all!"

April wanted to ask about the price, but Grimmjow cut her off, "Don't worry 'bout it, April. You are under our care now, so we'll pay for it." After settling the remaining admin stuff and paying for the paint, they left the shop. Since they're here, Grimmjow suggested shopping for a while before returning.

While they were walking around, April told Grimmjow seriously that she would pay anything that is meant for her family, to which the King objected. "It's not that I want to reject your goodwill, but it's a matter of principles. I've always told myself to get what I want through my own efforts, so I don't want to go against that. You understand, right?" April then stated, to which Grimmjow agreed.

Then, he said, "I'll respect your decision, but we'll pay this round. Consider it our welcome gift. But if you need any help, we'll always be glad to. Since Ggio is our dear brother, you guys are now our family, too. So we'll want to make your lives easier, ok?"

When he said it like that, April could say nothing. The two of them then realized that Flame and the others had stopped walking and was looking at the display of a jewelry store. "Wow…this one is pretty! That one is beautiful too!" Flame was eying at some of the items on display.

* * *

 _Well, I made Ulqui and Tesla have great artistic abilities because I thought it suited them. Oh, Kay, April and Uncle Ten are my OCs! -Soranryu_


	8. Chapter 8

_Back to moderate length chapter. Flame's POV, filler continues into prelude. -Soranryu_

* * *

"You like them?" Grimmjow's voice came from behind me. The next second, I could feel his warmth as he pressed against my back to look at the display. "Y-yeah…" I replied, blushing a little at the close contact. "You want them?" he asked again, looking down at me.

I quickly looked down to hide my blush and shook my head, "Not really…it's not like I would wear them anyway." Grimmjow hummed and shrugged nonchalantly, before placing an arm around my shoulders and leading me away.

After a while, the King gave a lopsided grin, "You're different." I was blinded by his smile before I quickly snapped myself out of it, "…How different?" "Every girl all has at least some jewelry with them, even Harribel has her own collection, and you tell me you have no use for accessories? Isn't that different?" Grimmjow replied teasingly.

I shrugged, not really caring. I have no eyes for fashion in the first place, so clothes and accessories don't matter much. "Well…we should head back," Grimmjow told the rest and we headed towards the carpark.

Before we set off, Grimmjow turned back to look at me, "I forgot just now, but if I'm driving too fast for your liking, just tell me. I'll slow down." "No need! I like the speed," I grinned. I've always loved motorcycles because I love how the wind blows against me. More than that, I love the feeling of freedom when I ride one.

Grimmjow then mirrored my grin before turning to the front and started his bike. With a roar, we sped out of the carpark. The others were soon behind us. Given at the speed we were travelling, we reached the secluded highway leading to the Arrancars' mansion in no time.

All of the sudden, Grimmjow hit the brakes without warning, causing his bike to skid dangerously. The others managed to stop their bikes without accidents as well, looking at Grimmjow tensely. I don't really know what's going on, but I felt unease flooding my heart. I think…something bad is going to happen.

I was proven right when four huge black motorcycles shot above the road barricades and started circling around us. The roars of their engines were so loud that they sounded menacing, and I can't help but tighten my hold around Grimmjow. He sensed my tightened hold around him and placed one hand over my clasped ones, giving me silent reassurance.

"Haven't you learnt your lessons already, you scums? You guys will never beat us in a million years!" Grimmjow mocked, his posture relaxed and composed. The rest of the Arrancars were calm too, only a bit tensed up. Even Mum is relaxed.

The enemy gritted their teeth in anger, but like the previous time, they quickly masked their anger and leered back at us, "What could we do? These are the Boss' orders!" With that, we all slid off the bikes in silent harmony and took off our helmets. The Arrancars and the enemy stepped forward, Grimmjow making sure Mum and I were a safe distance away.

A few seconds of tense silence before both sides charged. Naturally, Grimmjow and the leader of the enemy group would only fight each other. Ulquiorra, Tesla and Ggio each took on one of the enemy members. Punches and kicks were exchanged, but it was obvious who has the upper hand. Only a few minutes into the fight, the enemy members were receiving more blows than what they could throw out.

 _Thud!_ The soft, dull sound of something dropping to the ground reached my ears and I turned around to look. My eyes widened when I saw Mum lying on the ground, unconscious. It was like a playback of what happened yesterday. Fear crept into my heart and I opened my mouth to shout for the Arrancars.

Right before I could make any noise, a piece of cloth was held tightly against my mouth. _There's another one?!_ I thought in panic, hands going up to claw my captor's hand away. However, my captor saw that coming and pinned my arms down against my body as his free arm wrapped around my frame.

From his thick arms, I could tell that my captor is a strong person. Even when I struggled as hard as I could, he did not even budge an inch. Realizing that I'm just wasting my energy, I stopped my struggles and relaxed. At the same time, the enemy was totally wiped out by the Arrancars. When Grimmjow and the others turned back to us and saw the predicament Mum and I were in, they sprang into action.

They were fast. In no time, Ggio had already gathered Mum in his arms and jumped a safe distance away. He wanted to rescue me too, but Grimmjow, Ulquiorra and Tesla were already cornering my captor. Ggio could only stay out of the fight to look after Mum.

As I watched Grimmjow and the others approached, I slowly bid my time. I'm not sure if my plan would work, but I'm sick and tired of being captured and rescued. Finally, when the Arrancars were close enough, I raised a leg up and kicked my captor's shin as hard as I could.

My captor let out a howl and released me to hold his leg instead. Without wasting any time, I bolted away from him.

* * *

 _Flame's strong side shows up again, but it's not the full force. You guys will witness Flame's strength if you read on, so stay tune! -Soranryu_


	9. Chapter 9

_A 2-in-1 chapter, because both are quite short. In 3rd person or Grimmjow's POV, if you get what I mean. -Soranryu_

* * *

Grimmjow smirked when the enemy members were all defeated. However, his instincts were telling him that this was not just a simple ambush for revenge. Not one to doubt his guts, he turned around to see April on the ground. Ggio's gasp reached his ears and Grimmjow shifted his line of vision to see something even worse: Flame in the enemy's hands, literally.

The enemy leader chuckled in triumph, "Fighting you guys was only a distraction; our goal was her all along! I told you before that our Boss had taken a liking to her, didn't I?" At his words, Grimmjow gave a hard kick to his stomach, successfully shutting him up.

He turned back to Flame only to be met with her calm demeanor. The Arrancars were all confused. Shouldn't she be afraid? Well, that doesn't matter now. What's important is to get Flame away from that guy. The King made eye contact with Ulquiorra and Tesla and the both of them nodded subtly. However, when he turned to Ggio, the Fraccion had already rushed forward and grabbed April away.

Letting that slide, he slowly stepped forward and the other two followed. He glared at the man's arms around Flame and felt a growl rising up to his throat. Flame's captor inched back as they approached, trying to escape. When he realized he was cornered, he stopped and stared at the three Arrancars warily.

Everything happened in an instant. When Grimmjow was about one meter away from Flame, the girl moved. She raised her leg and kicked her captor hard on the shin with a sickening crack. The man let out a howl and released her, holding his leg. Flame seized that moment and ran.

Without thinking, Grimmjow sprang forward as well and met her halfway, bringing her close to him. With the girl safe in his arms, he turned on his heel and aimed a roundhouse kick to the captor's jaw. The captor fell to the ground with, unconscious.

The other members of the enemy gang all scrambled up and attempted to escape, but Ulquiorra and Tesla were quicker, hitting all of them at the back of their necks to knock them out cold. With the danger removed, the Arrancars relaxed visibly and sat down on the ground to catch their breath while they waited for April to wake up.

"Grimmjow-san, are you alright?" Flame spoke up a few minutes later. Grimmjow looked at her, still in his arms, before nodding, "Why wouldn't I be?" He then suddenly remembered he had a knife wound on his back, "Oh yeah, I'm fine." Hearing that, Flame relaxed and leaned against him, visibly tired out.

Well…she was almost kidnapped twice in only a few hours, of course she would be worn out. Seeing her tired face, Grimmjow felt his heart ache a little. Without thinking, he brought a hand up and gently stroked her hair. Flame didn't protest though, only closing her eyes.

April woke up just as Flame fell asleep. However, none of them have the heart to wake the girl up. In the end, Grimmjow positioned her to sit sideways in front of him, her legs on one side of his bike so that she could lean against him. Once he made sure Flame won't fall off, he revved his bike up and drove back to the mansion, the others close behind.

* * *

The moment they reached the mansion and parked their bikes, Grimmjow carried Flame back to her room without a word. "Go ahead, Ggio," April said, knowing that Ggio wants to follow. The Fraccion looked at her one more time before rushing to catch up with the King.

He followed Grimmjow, who placed Flame gently onto her bed before climbing in himself. Seeing this, Ggio stepped up to stop him, "What are you doing, Grimmjow?" Even if Grimmjow is his leader, he is not allowed to be near Flame without an explanation. However, his need to protect his sister caused him to call the King by his name, issuing a challenge for the throne.

Hearing his name from the Fraccion's mouth, Grimmjow growled, "Know your place, Ggio." Realizing his mistake, Ggio kneeled in submission. Since Ggio had yielded, Grimmjow, too, relaxed. "Sorry 'bout that, but…just leave us alone. I swore I won't hurt her, you can trust me on that, right?" he said, looking into Ggio's eyes seriously.

Ggio nodded and watched silently as the King of Arrancars climbed into the bed once more and hold his sister close. Even though he was not happy about this, he trusts Grimmjow to uphold his words. Looking at Flame, he whispered, "Please take care of her." With that, Ggio left the room.

After Ggio left, Grimmjow dropped his gaze down to the sleeping girl in his arms. He didn't know what was happening to him, but he doesn't really care. The need to hold her was too great, and he didn't really struggle against it either. Ggio's slip was dismissed from his mind in mere seconds.

It's not that Ggio's mistake was a small one, but because Grimmjow understands, he let it slide. To be honest, he himself thought that Ggio had the right to protect Flame from him. He is not the nicest person on Earth, and to add on to the pile, he is the King of the strongest gangs in the area. These are enough reasons to keep innocent Flame away from him.

However, he can't help it. Seeing her almost hurt the second time caused something within him to snap. Grimmjow knows that he has taken a liking to Flame as well, but he refuses to think of it as anything related to love. For now, he decides to indulge in having her in his arms this one time. Of course, he would never hurt her; his heart would not be able to take it.

* * *

 _Grimm's feelings surfacing. What's gonna happen? Just to inform you, this is still the prelude. Main event's not yer started! -Soranryu_


	10. Chapter 10

_In Flame's POV, last chapter of prelude...-Soranryu_

* * *

"What's wrong, Flame?" Ggio's voice snapped me back to reality, "You've been staring into space more than ever recently." Turning my eyes back to him, I contemplated on whether I should tell him my troubles. I knew that I was spacing out more than usual, but not without a good reason. Honestly, I've been thinking about Grimmjow.

After the day when I was almost kidnapped twice, with me waking up in his arms the next day, he's been avoiding me. I mean, sure, it was awkward, but he avoided me like a plague. The other Arrancars were really nice to me, but I don't know what I did to make Grimmjow shun me. The last time I've seen him was when Ulquiorra and Tesla finished working on my room, and that was a week ago. He was in his room all the time.

During the time Grimmjow was distancing himself from me, the other Arrancars were getting closer to me. Ulquiorra, Szayel and Harribel especially, since we shared quite a few things in common. With Ulquiorra, we sometimes read books together or did some art. With Szayel, I learnt more about my favorite subject, Biology, from him. With Harribel, we grew quite a lot of different plants together, and sometimes went out on "girls' outing" with the other females.

However…Grimmjow avoiding me was weighing heavily in my mind. And to be honest, I missed him. "Flame?" Ggio asked again, this time nudging me gently. I should tell him; he is my brother after all. "Ggio-nii…Grimmjow-san has been avoiding me, and I don't know why. Did I do something wrong?" I asked, my voice laced with sadness.

Ggio looked shocked for a while before saying, "I know. We all realized that, but none of us have yet to ask him about it. Don't worry, Flame; I'm pretty sure it's his fault, not yours." Then, after a pause, Ggio asked, "Do you like King?" This time, it was his words that shocked me.

"L-Like?" I stuttered. Ggio nodded, as he knows that I caught on his question. I…never thought about it, though. Yeah, sure, Grimmjow is really hot, with his great figure and good looks. Within these two weeks of staying in Las Noches, I finally understood why many girls who know about the Arrancars dreamed of Grimmjow being their bad-ass boyfriend. I guess…I do too.

From when he rescued me twice, and the short time I got to know him, I felt this attraction to him. Hell, the moment I set foot into Las Noches and saw him sitting in the middle, I was in awe. The power and leadership emanating from him was hard to ignore. What's worse was when he held me, he was so warm that I felt safe in his arms.

Thinking up to here, I came to realize that I do like Grimmjow. So that's why it hurts that he was avoiding me. I tentatively nodded my answer to Ggio, who didn't look surprised at all. "You knew?" I asked him. He ruffled my hair gently before hugging me from behind, "Of course I know. What kind of brother would I be if I don't know? You're lucky your parents aren't here; they'll flip."

He's right; Mum and Dad would freak out if they knew. Throughout my sixteen years of living, I've never develop feelings for anyone before. If they knew, they would go all protective and naggy. I became thankful that we were both in Ggio's room, just the two of us. "Well…I don't mind, because it's King. However, Flame, why don't you start from friends first? You don't know him well enough to commit, and vice versa."

I ran through his words in my head and thought that it made sense. It wouldn't do any good to rush into a relationship. Besides, I do have my dream of becoming a vet. If I start a relationship, I might have to give up my dream. "I guess you're right," I said, my mind made up, "but I have to confront him about avoiding me."

"Yeah, let's go, right now," Ggio grinned, pulling away and getting down from the bed. I followed his lead and soon we stood in front of Grimmjow's room. I raised my hand and was about to knock the door when Ggio held me back and knocked instead, "King, it's Ggio." Rustling could be heard after a few moments of silence and the door opened to reveal the Arrancars' King.

However, he tried to close the door as soon as he saw me. Ggio anticipated this and intercepted, holding onto the door, "Get inside, Flame. I can't stop him for long." At his words, I quickly slipped into Grimmjow's room. My brother may be strong, but he is still no match for Grimmjow. "I'll be waiting outside," was Ggio's last words before he let go, the door slamming shut.

* * *

 _Flame realised her own feelings for the King as well. What's she gonna do? -Soranryu_


	11. Chapter 11

_The start of the main event...starting with Flame and Grimm settling their feelings, Flame's POV. -Soranryu_

* * *

Pregnant silence filled the room as Grimmjow and I both said nothing. He wordlessly moved to sit on his bed, while I continued to stand awkwardly in front of him. Finally, he opened his mouth "Get out." I flinched at the coldness in his voice, but I stood my ground, "No, I won't leave until I get an explanation."

Taking a deep breath, I spoke, "Why are you avoiding me, Grimmjow? Did I do something to make you dislike me?" My words came out in a sad whisper, shocking both him and myself. Grimmjow's head snapped up, "No!" Realising his outburst, he lowered his head and sighed, running a hand through his hair, "It's…it's not your fault, Flame, it's mine."

After a short pause, he continued, "I'll be honest. I like you, I really like you. I've been thinking about you, looking at you whenever I get the chance. It's a good thing you never notice. However, when I held you that one time, I almost lost control; I could've eaten you up that moment. Made me realise I have to stay away from you. It hurts, but it'll hurt more if I ever hurt you."

He sighed again, "I'll never hate you, Flame. If anything, I hate myself for having such little control over myself and resorting to this. So don't blame yourself; I'm the jerk here." Without thinking, I moved forward and embraced him. "Self-hate and sadness don't suit you, Grimmjow. It's ok, we'll let nature take its course," I whispered, closing my eyes and enjoying his warmth.

Suddenly, the door burst opened and Ggio rushed in, his expression grim, "King, there's trouble. The other gangs are all acting up; Hueco Mundo's in chaos." "Shit!" Grimmjow cursed, standing up and heading out in lightning speed. Without pausing, he commanded me to remain in his room.

Of course, I could not just obey, so I followed him and Ggio down to the basement where everyone had gathered. "No way am I staying up there doing nothing! My parents are out there working and they are most probably caught in this chaos!" I protested when the Arrancars tried to push me back to the upper floors. In the end, they had no choice but to let me stay as they stared at the multiple monitors displaying the situations across the entire town.

Different gangs were appearing at different areas of Hueco Mundo, some setting fires, some terrorizing the civilians and some marking their territories with spray paints. The police were spread around the town, but they could nothing against the gangsters. After contemplating for a while, Grimmjow quickly divided the Arrancars into groups and sent them out to stop the chaos.

Soon, it's just me and Grimmjow left. As Grimmjow was thinking about what to do with me, one of the monitors blinked and showed a man's face. Seeing this, Grimmjow's face hardened, "Yhwach." He spoke with so much hatred and venom that a shiver ran down my spine. "I won't say much: Give me the girl, or else," the man spoke before moving away only to show us my parents, tied up and gagged behind him.

"No!" I gasped soundlessly, my knees buckling beneath me. If it wasn't for Grimmjow, I would have collapsed onto the ground. The next second, the monitor turned black. Yhwach had disconnected it. Holding me close to him, Grimmjow said seriously, "I won't hand you over to him." "My parents-" I started, but he cut me off, "No, we'll think of something else. I am not handing you over no matter what."

After calming me down, Grimmjow sank into his thoughts. He wasn't panicking at all, which showed how much trust he had in his fellow Arrancars to take care of the chaos outside. Not wanting to disturb him, I sat still and relaxed on his lap, seeing that he did not release me at all. Fear still seized my heart and the scene in which my parents were held hostage kept replaying in my mind, but I trust Grimmjow to think of a solution.

About ten minutes later, he snapped out of his thoughts and planted a kiss on my head. "Grimmjow…?" I asked, caught off guard by his actions. The King sighed before saying, "I really don't wanna do this, but there's no other choice. I will have to hand you over, but it's only temporary. This is what we'll do…"

Listening attentively to his plans, I was amazed at how well-thought it was, and within ten minutes too. Of course, I was straight out nervous as well, seeing that my role in the plan is really important. Running through the counter-attack to Yhwach's scheme once more, I steeled my nerves and headed out of Las Noches with Grimmjow.

* * *

 _They can't fully iron things out between them, but now, it all starts. -Soranryu_


	12. Chapter 12

_And...here it is! The chapter where Flame brings out her strength, the moment you(more like me XD) most anticipate! -Soranryu_

* * *

On the way out of Las Noches, which seemed like an eternity, Grimmjow observed Flame walking beside him. Nervousness is plain obvious in her eyes, but there was an unshakable determination underlying beneath. She was ready to carry out his plan to save her parents, even at the cost of her life.

Seeing her like this, feeling how her unwavering spirit was pulling him in even further, he couldn't help but grab her hand. When he felt her squeeze his hand, he gave a confident smile, "We'll all come home." Grimmjow wasn't sure if he was reassuring Flame or himself, but it no longer mattered when she nodded without hesitation.

They finally arrived at Las Noches' main gate, where they knew Yhwach was waiting. However, before exiting, Grimmjow pulled Flame into a tight hug. No words were exchanged, but there was no need to. They both exchanged a nod after they separated and turned towards the door. Switching back to holding hands, they stepped outside to where Yhwach was waiting.

"Sure took your own sweet time, eh, Grimmjow?" the sinister voice of Yhwach sounded. Grimmjow said nothing as he glared daggers at the other gang leader. "Well then, hand over the girl and I'll hand over her parents," Yhwach drawled out lazily, dragging Flame's parents by their binds. "Over my dead body!" Grimmjow growled out, pulling Flame close to him.

At Grimmjow's refusal, Yhwach pointed a dagger at Flame's parents in one swift motion. A broken gasp escaped Flame's lips and she looked at Grimmjow pleadingly. After a moment's hesitation, the King released her slowly. Flame wasted no time and rushed over to her parents, tugging at their bindings.

"Oh no you don't, little one," Yhwach sang out, grabbing Flame by her waist and stepped away. Once Yhwach was a distance away, Grimmjow cut the bindings with Pantera, his beloved Katana. April and Uncle Ten tried to get their daughter away, but Grimmjow held them back. At this, Yhwach started to lead Flame away.

However, Flame held her ground, causing Yhwach to look at her, "I held my end of the bargain." Flame nodded, but she did not budge. Just as Yhwach was about to drag her by force, she threw herself at her. Yhwach staggered a bit, unprepared to catch her weight, before he hugged her with a grin, "So eager to be with me, aren't you?"

Flame looked up at him with pleading eyes, "If I stay with you, promise me you'll leave the Arrancars and my parents alone?" Her voice was soft and timid, totally capturing Yhwach's heart. Unable to refuse, Yhwach nodded and started leading her away, "Once we're back at my place, I'll ask my men to withdraw."

As the two were walking, Grimmjow's phone vibrated. He quickly took out his phone and smiled a second after once he read the message. Next, he gave a few taps to his phone and a loud digital alarm rang out. The moment the alarm rang out, Yhwach jolted and landed on his knees. He jolted once more and collapsed onto the ground when Flame did something to his neck.

Without further ado, Grimmjow quickly tie Yhwach up with the bindings used on Flame's parents. "You tricked me!" Yhwach shouted in rage. At this, Grimmjow quickly led Flame away from him back to her parents. "You're alright!" Harribel's voice rang out. When everyone turned to look at her, they were surprised to find her dragging a group of men, tied up, behind her.

She pulled the men with her and demanded them to sit down beside Yhwach. Turning back to Flame, Harribel silently fussed over her before hugging her, "You're okay, little one." Releasing Flame, Harribel pointed to Yhwach's men, "When they told me their true goal was you, I was so worried."

After Harribel returned, the rest of the Arrancars started to come back one by one, bringing the rest of Yhwach's men with them. Soon, the police arrived as well and brought Yhwach's gang back with them to prison. "So…how did ya guys defeat that ass?" Nnoitra questioned, grinning as he fastened his sword onto his back.

Before Grimmjow could answer, Flame cut in, "Before we went out to meet Yhwach, Grimmjow handed me this." She raised her hand to show them a palm-sized Taser, small but with a high voltage. Flame then continued, "Grimmjow came up with a plan, in which I have to pretend to go with Yhwach. Once I went with him, I have to wait for Grimmjow's signal, which will sound once Grimmjow thinks Yhwach's guard is down.

"The moment Grimmjow's signal sounded, I electrocuted him!" After Flame's explanation, the Arrancars cheered. April and Uncle Ten were a bit angry at Grimmjow for thinking up such a dangerous plan, but they understood that it was necessary. "You were really brave, Flame," Grimmjow complimented, giving her a pat on the back.

Just as he was about to compliment the rest on a job well done, pain erupted from his shoulder. His vision swayed and soon his consciousness slipped away like sand through fingers.

* * *

 _Oh no! Grimm! Don't die! -Soranryu_


	13. Chapter 13

_Not the epilogue yet, be patient! Read on! Oh yeah, in Flame's POV. -Soranryu_

* * *

"Flame…have your dinner, please," Mum urged, placing the food containers at my side. I nodded, but made no move to touch the food. Grimmjow was still running a high fever and there was no sign of him waking up. Seeing him like this, I no longer felt like doing anything; self-blame turning me into an empty shell of my former self.

That day, after Yhwach was taken care of, Grimmjow collapsed. None of us knew what happened; he just dropped to the ground unconscious. I was sure he wasn't hurt by Yhwach, so I guessed it was the knife-wound on his back. When we rushed him to the hospital, the doctor proved my speculations right.

After Grimmjow's operation and his condition was stabilized, the doctor told us that the knife-wound was the cause. The wound was deep, but it was only given first-aid treatment and thus it didn't fully recover. Not only that, Grimmjow was reported not having enough rest and giving himself too much stress, ultimately causing the wound to be infected.

So right now, he was warded into the hospital due to major wound infection. The doctor had disinfected and sealed up the wound, but Grimmjow was still having a high fever and in a comatose state. "He just needs a few days to fight the fever and he'll wake up once his body is ready; don't worry," the doctor had told me, but I still felt unsure…and scared.

What if he doesn't wake up? I couldn't help but feel that I was the reason Grimmjow was in this state. Because in the end, he took that hit for me. So now, I felt hugely responsible and refused to leave his bedside. Thanks to the Arrancars' influential powers, I get to stay in the hospital even after visitors' hours.

The only time I actually left Grimmjow's room was when I had to attend the remaining subjects for my GCE 'O' Levels examinations. But now that they're over, I could spend the entire day cooped up in Grimmjow's room. Even though the doctor had said a few days, one week had actually passed. Without needing to be told, I knew I was getting near my breaking point. If Grimmjow still don't wake up, I'm going to break down.

I don't want to rush him into waking up, lest he did not fully recover, but I wish he could wake up soon before I collapse. Taking his hand in mine, I closed my eyes and interlaced our fingers together, "Save me, Grimmjow…" Just then, Mum placed her hand over ours, "You better wake up now, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Or else who am I going to entrust my daughter to?"

Her words shocked me and I stared at her blankly. My parents had found out my growing feelings for the King of the Arrancars two days ago, and it wasn't because Ggio told them. They just noticed it from my behavior, and confirmed with Ggio. Naturally, they made a huge fuss and scolded me for it. However, at that time, I couldn't be bothered and ignored them, solely focused on Grimmjow.

Sure, I had felt bad for defying them like this, but I no longer could just let my feelings go. I love him too much, and I don't mind being with him even if he's a top gangster. Besides, now that we are officially part of the Arrancars, every other potential guy would be either scared shit or feel disgusted hanging around the Arrancars. One could say I've sealed my love life outside of the gangster world shut when I joined.

After finding out, my parents had distanced themselves away from me, focusing on their work. I don't know if it was because they want to give me time to regret my decision, or just because they want to avoid a full-blown argument. I knew they were sort of arguing behind my back regarding this, but I couldn't care less. If they really want to object in the end, I'm just going to hole myself up in Grimmjow's room.

But now, Mum actually came to me and said this in front of me. What does this mean? She caught my stare and smiled ruefully, "It's exactly what it means. Your father and I had been thinking a lot, and we came to realize that we can't do anything other than to accept. You've already stepped into the black society, there's no other choice for you.

"Maybe it was our fault for letting you get involved, or allowing Ggio to join the Arrancars, but now that all these had already happened, there's nothing we could do. So yes, both your father and I approve, and hope that Grimmjow won't ever hurt you like we fear." At this, I felt my tears welling up and hugged her, my beloved mother, "Thank you…both of you are the best parents I could ever have."

"Yeah…if I ever hurt her, I will serve up my head willingly," the voice I missed so much sounded weakly. At this, both of us turned towards the bed to see Grimmjow rubbing his temples as he tried to sit up. Pushing him back onto the bed gently, I gave him a smile, "Good morning!" Mum helped to control the bed so that it allowed Grimmjow to sit up before leaving us to call the doctor.

After she left, Grimmjow cast his eyes down and asked softly, "How long was I out?" "A week," I replied, looking down as well. He then reached out for my hand, which I took without hesitation and looked at me apologetically, "I'm sorry I couldn't wake up earlier. I could hear you, ya know, every time when you talk to me. When you asked me to save you, how I wish to quickly wake up, but I couldn't. I had to wait a little while more before I could open my eyes."

Before he could say more, the door swung open to reveal the doctor. He quickly came over and gave Grimmjow a thorough check-up before declaring that Grimmjow is fine. However, the doctor wanted him to stay a little while more to observe him and make sure that he has fully recovered. After that, the doctor and the nurses left, leaving Mum and Ggio with me.

The rest of the Arrancars were busy, so they sent Ggio down to check on me now and then. "Kids, I'll make a move first," Mum stated, after she helped Grimmjow settle the admin stuff. So it's just the three of us left. "You are lucky your parents accepted it in the end," Ggio smiled, ruffling my hair. I nodded, leaning into his touch. Ggio had been my biggest supporter, calming down my parents when they were about to scold me, or just being there.

"If nothing else, I'll head back and tell the rest that King's up. Oh, and make sure they don't come down," Ggio excused himself as well and left. There was a moment of silence after he left, before Grimmjow held out one arm towards me. I went over to him without hesitation and took hold of his hand.

He then shifted a little to the side before guiding me to sit down on the empty space, his arm around my waist. For now, his left arm is unusable because the wound was on his left shoulder. "I'm glad," Grimmjow started, kissing my head, "that your parents accepted. If they persisted on objecting, I planned to kick you guys out of the Arrancars, which is probably something I'll regret."

I nodded, "I felt really bad; it hurts to defy them like this. But…I can't leave you, Grimmjow. I just can't." Careful of his wound, I gently buried my face in his chest, relishing his warmth. "I understand their worries, because I feel the same way." At his words, I lifted my head sharply to look at him.

He chuckled at my reaction and lifted his hand from my waist to my neck, "Let me finish. Though I feel the same way, I'm glad they accepted. Even though I think myself as the worst kind of person for a boyfriend, it's not enough to keep myself away from you, which is kinda impossible right now." At that, he leaned down and captured my lips with his own.

"As much as I deny it, I love you, Flame. It's even clearer to me when Yhwach wanted you. When you hugged him that time, I was so ready to rip his throat out," he whispered when he broke the kiss, anger lacing his voice. He then snaked his arm around me again, nuzzling my neck, "Mine."

I leaned back into him and gently wrapped my arms around his torso, "Yours."

* * *

 _They finally settled things between them! And Grimm's not dead :P -Soranryu_


	14. Chapter 14

_This is then the real epilogue! That's right, guys, the last chapter! In 3rd person, more like Grimm's POV. -Soranryu_

* * *

Grimmjow stared at his watch for the third time. It was almost an hour since Flame and April went up the hall. Today was the release of the GCE 'O' Levels results and April had accompanied Flame to take hers. While Flame rode with him, Ggio drove April, having finally gotten his own bike. Speaking of which, Ggio was staring up at the hall as well, "It became much quieter…"

"Yeah," Grimmjow replied, standing up straight from leaning against his bike. Just then, the hall became noisy again with cheers and groans of disappointment. Both of the males were tempted to go up to take a look, but Flame's request for them to stay at the foyer stopped them.

Slowly, students started streaming down from the hall, some with happy expressions while some sad. There were tear tracks on the students' faces as well. However, all of the students couldn't help but stared at the two Arrancars in awe when they passed by. After the Yhwach incident, the Arrancars became well-known in Hueco Mundo, rapidly gaining their own fan club among the female population.

As the Arrancars were gaining popularity, they were also getting respect and fear from the other gangs. Since Yhwach was captured and locked up in jail, the other gangs became subservient to the Arrancars. They are still allowed to run their businesses, but they have to carry out Grimmjow's demand as well, if he has any.

"Grimm, Ggio-nii! Sorry to keep you guys waiting!" Flame's voice sounded above the chatter of the other students and they soon spotted her coming towards them with April. When she stepped in front of Grimmjow, his arms naturally made their way around her as he asked, "How was it?"

"The principal was taking so long - talking about the percentages of passes and fails, the distinction rate and whatnot, we were all getting impatient. I bet everyone was so close to throw something at her and ask her to shut up," Flame laughed, recounting the scene in the hall as she reached for her helmet.

Grimmjow took the helmet for her and helped her put it on, "I'm not asking about that; I'm asking about your results. How are they?" Flame shook her head and smiled at him, "It's a secret! I'm only telling when we go back." He sighed in defeat before putting on his own helmet and climbed onto his bike.

Once his bike was started, he sped out of the school, Ggio following close behind. Once they reached Las Noches, everyone quickly gathered to hear about her results. They were a little worried because a lot had happened during the examination period. Even if she's one of them, they want her to do well and fulfil her dream of becoming a vet.

"Come on, Flame! Tell us!" Nel demanded, voicing out everyone's impatience. Flame reached into her bag and took out her result slip, all the while trying to hold back a grin. She then held it high in front of them, "Ta-da! My L1R4 is 10, enough to get into Veterinary Technology!" Hearing that, loud cheers echoed in the living room, relief flooding into all their hearts.

For dinner, April whipped up a big feast to celebrate, and they partied late into the night, but without alcohol. When they all decided to turn in for the night, Grimmjow followed Flame back to her room. Ever since Grimmjow came back from the hospital, he no longer sleeps in his room, but in Flame's.

Well, for one, it's because he couldn't bear to stay away from her at night. Two, Flame's room is connected to Ggio's, so if he ever was going to do something to hurt Flame, Ggio would be able to stop him.

After brushing his teeth and all that, Grimmjow lay on the bed and waited for Flame to join him. Soon, she was done and climbed into bed, snuggling up next to him. "Honestly, my results were better than I expected," Flame sighed, relief and happiness shone through her voice.

Grimmjow lowered his head to give her a kiss on the lips before coaxing her to sleep, he himself following soon after. Before he slip into dreamland, the words he hadn't say came out in a soft whisper:

 **"You did well, Princess…"**

* * *

 _So...that's it. The end. How was it? I really hope you guys liked the concept and the story! Thanks for sticking through! Till next time! -Soranryu_


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